Sustainability takes centre stage at Tire Tech Awards 2025

Hanover, Germany – Tire Technology Awards 2025 have highlighted the industry’s increasing focus on sustainability, featuring three awards in the environmental category.

Presented during the Tire Technology Expo in Hanover on 4 March, the awards saw Nokian Tyres win the ‘industry contribution award’ for the opening of its zero-emissions manufacturing plant in Oradea, Romania, in 2024.

Continental, meanwhile, won the ‘environmental manufacturing award’ for sustainability measures at its tire plant in Lousado, Portugal, where it has been implementing CO2-neutral production processes since last year.

The Hanover-based tire maker was also honoured as the ‘tire manufacturer of the year’, outperforming other nominees, which included Bridgestone, Michelin, Pirelli, Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI) and Yokohama.

This marks the fourth time Continental has received this title – most recently in 2022.

Goodyear won the third sustainability-related award for tire design with its ElectricDrive Sustainable-Material (EDS) tire, while the ‘tire concept of the year’ award went to Bridgestone for its ‘lunar concept tire’.

Michelin won the coveted 'tire of the year' award with its Primacy 5, beating competition from Apollo, Continental, Hankook and Toyo Tires.

SRI’s ‘active tread’ technology, which adapts the properties of the tread compound based on changes in road conditions, won the ‘R&D breakthrough of the year’ at the event. 

Dutch machinery supplier VMI won the ‘tire manufacturing innovation of the year award’ for the integrated quality monitoring offered by its MAXX and MILEXX platforms.

China’s ARP, meanwhile, won the ‘industry supplier of the year’, credited, among other products for its innovations in the tire curing sector, including servomotor-driven manipulators and automatic bladder exchange technology.

Tire reinforcement supplier Bekaert was recognised with the ‘materials innovation of the year’ for its sustainable ‘mega tensile’ reinforcement material designed for passenger car and truck tires.